Diocese should do right thing and preserve Holy Trinity for future

I was at Syracuse Planning Commission meeting in support of the request to deny the appeal from the Syracuse Diocese/Holy Trinity-St. John's Church, although I did not choose to speak. As I was listening to the testimony, pro and con, and the rebuttal comments from the parish attorney Andrew Leja, some thoughts occurred to me. Leja questioned why the parishioners had not come up with any suggestions for the adaptive reuse of the building and, in effect, criticized them for their failure to do so. The parishioners did not close the church; the diocese did, so why doesn't the diocese (or parish) have a member of its staff working diligently with the parishioners, the city, county and state governments and other interested parties to find a use for the building that will preserve its beauty?

Secondly, the appeal seems to hinge on the assertion by the parish that the stained glass items under discussion are not windows, but rather internal pieces of artwork and as such are not protected under the local designation as a protected historical site. Yet in the testimony I heard last evening, the parish and its attorney continually referred to the stained glass as windows. So what is it? Are they pieces of art or windows? It is clear to me they are windows and, as such, are protected integral parts of the church building.

I urge the Syracuse Diocese to do the right thing and work to find a way to preserve this landmark for all of the people of Syracuse to enjoy in perpetuity.